Primož Roglič Reveals He Was Planning His Jumbo-Visma Exit Before the Vuelta a España Drama
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While there was plenty of drama around Primož Roglič and his teammates during and directly after the Vuelta, it seems that he was planning his Jumbo-Visma exit long before all of that went down. It initially seemed as though his decision to leave the team had something to do with not getting a 4th win at the Vuelta, but actually, it had a lot more to do with the Tour de France.
Besides three previous wins at the Vuelta, Roglič also has a Giro d’Italia win, from earlier this year. As well as numerous other WorldTour victories. The only thing missing from his palmarès is the coveted Tour de France win. His luck at the tour hasn’t been great. He’s had crashes, and near misses in time trials. But he’s ready to go all-in for the top spot.
It also became clear, after Jonas Vingegaard’s second Tour win this year, that Roglič wouldn’t be the front man if he stayed with Jumbo-Visma. And for that reason, he started looking for another team much earlier in the year than many realized.
GCN reported that the Tour de France was a major reason for Roglič’s departure, “The 33-year-old won the Giro d’Italia in May of this year but with Jonas Vingegaard winning back-to-back Tour de France titles for the last two years, Roglič’s chances of leadership and a chance to complete his Grand Tour set looked unlikely at Jumbo-Visma.
“According to his camp, the notion of complete leadership for the Tour de France in 2024 was a major factor in his decision to try and extract himself from his current deal.”
Why the obsession with the Tour? If Jonas Vingegaard winning the Men’s Vélo d’Or this year is any indication, taking the top step in France is still seen as the most important moment in cycling.
Cycling News reported that Roglič spoke about the Tour in Rome after his Giro win saying, “I know what is missing from my palmares…I’ve won a lot, and so even if I stop immediately, I’m super proud of what I’ve won and what has happened. But it’s my responsibility to go for it, to try to do everything to win, to have no regrets and be proud of what happens.”
Apparently, Roglič wasn’t doing a lot to hide his curiosity about other teams, or his desire for a Tour win. Cycling News reported, “Bora-Hansgrohe team manager Ralph Denk realized during the Vuelta a España that Roglič was no longer happy at Jumbo-Visma and formulated an offer, keen to secure Roglič’s services.”
And now the Bora-Hansgrohe team is already working on a strong team to back Roglič at the Tour de France, which seems to be exactly what he was hoping for. Certainly Vingegaard, Evenepoel, and Pogačar will be his biggest rivals next year in France, but Roglič seems up for the challenge. “Whatever happens, I don’t want to have any regrets. If you don’t try, you’ll never know.
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